Apparatus for feeding and changing of yarns in circular knitting machines



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. APPARATUS FOR FEEDING AND CHANGING OF YARNS IN KNITTING MACHINES V CIRCULAR Filed Feb. 28, 1955 17 Sheets-Sheet 4 May 12, 1959 K. PoLAcH 2,885,874

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INVENTOR fm/ W4 May 12, 1959 Filed Feb. 28, 1955 ACH 2,885,874

K. POL APPARATUS FOR FEEDING AND CHANGING OF YARNS IN CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES l7 Sheets-Sheet 7 63 gas INVENTOR #are/ 70/516 Maw/w- K. POLACH DIN May 12, 1 959 2,885,874 APPARATUS FOR FEE G AND CHANGING OF YARNS IN CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES l7 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed Feb. 28, 1955 May 12, 1959 POLACH I 2,885,874

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING AND' CHANGING 0F YARNS IN CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Flled Feb 28, 1955 17 Sheets-Sheet 9 May 12, 1959 K APPARATUS FOR FEEDIN Filed Feb. 28, 19,55 v

CIRCULAR KIjITTING MACHINES May 12, 1959 K, PQLACH 2,885,874

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING AND CHANGING OF YARNS IN CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Feb. 28, 1955 17 Sheets-Sheet 11 May i 12, 1959 2,885,874

7 7 K. PoLAcH Y APPARATUS FOR FEEDING AND CHANGING 0F YARNS IN, CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Fil ed Feb. 28, 1955 17 Sheets-Sfiegt 12 I HZ May 12, 1959 PQLACH 2,885,874 APPARATUS FOR FEEDING AND CHANGING 0F YARNS IN CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES 17 Sheets-Sheet 1s Fild Feb. 28. 1955 May 12 1959 Filed Feb. 28, 1955 Y 1 K. POLACH APPARATUS FOR FEEDING AND CHANGING OF YARNS IN CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES 17 Sheets-Sheet 15 May l2,' 1959 APPARATUS FOR FEE Filed Feb. 28, 1955 K. PoLAcH 2,885,874 DING AND CHANGI OF YARNS IN CIRCULAR KNITTING MAC ES 17 Sheets-Sheet 16 25:9 767 756 7 2 INVENTOR fi/are/ @a/a'r/r BY M /w K. PoLAcH DIN May 12, 1959 A 2,885,874

APPARATUS FOR FEE G AND CHANGING OF YARNS IN CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES 17 Sheets-Sheet 17 Filed Feb. 28, 1955 /V/0/ 469,642 Pad/707 United States Patent APPARATUS FOR FEEDING AND CHANGING OF YARNS IN CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Karel Polach, Trebic, Moravia, Czechoslovakia, assignor to Zapadomoravske strojirny, narodni podnik, Trebic, Czechoslovakia Application February 28, 1955, Serial No.-490,757

Claims priority, application Czechoslovakia March 1, 1954 13 Claims. (Cl. 66-140) The present invention relates to apparatus for feeding and changing yarns on circular knitting machines, more particularly double-cylinder knitting machines used in the automatic manufacture of hosiery goods with coursewise or horizontal stripes of different colors.

In the horizontal striping apparatus used heretofore, the change of yarns takes place in such a way that a selected operative yarn feeder which is to be put out of operation is first withdrawn from its operative position without immediately interrupting the knitting operation being performed with the yarn from this feeder, so as to enable the selected feeder to take up a temporary position wherefrom the yarn is introduced into the needles until the operative feeder is further withdrawn to its retracted position. During this operation, each of the yarn feeders has a different movement imparted thereto in close proximity to the needle latches, as the feeding end of each feeder is at a different distance from the yarn feeding point. For this reason, each of the feeders requires its own operating cam, as well as its own catch wheel with pawl and control device and its own trapping and cutting-off device. Thus, the general layout of the existing horizontal striping apparatus is too intricate and expensive and unreliable, so that the presumed saving in needles and knitting material is not practicable.

It is the object of the present invention to provide an arrangement of the interchangeable feeders and an ac- I tuating mechanism for their exchange which are more simple in their constructions than similar arrangements known hitherto, and which, as a result of the simple construction are more reliable in service, can be set in a Simple manner to any Stripe Pattern, and are capable of l i Fig. 5, but with the feeder selecting and the feeder operbeing manufactured at reduced costs.

To this end, a circular knitting machine suited for course-wise striping and comprising a rotary needle cylinder and a number of interchangeable yarn feeders, has all of its yarn feeders arranged in a plane parallel to the rotary axis of the needle cylinder with the axes of the feeders converging towards the knitting point, and each feeder is guided in a slot of a support for a lengthwise movement as well as for a pivotal movement in a plane through the feeders axis and at right angles to the plane in which all the feeders lie, and is under the action of a return spring which pulls the feeder into a rest position away from the knitting point. Further, each feeder is provided with a lateral recess adapted to be engaged by a spring biased holding pin, the recess being so located that, when the feeder is shifted into its operational position with its feeding eye at the knitting point, the holding pin engages the recess and maintains the feeder in its operational position. .Each feeder is also provided with a longitudinal slot through which a pivot pin extends, and each feeder is associated with a selecting member arranged to be moved against the feeder and to engage it at a point between the pivot pin and the feeding eye so as to deflect the feeder about the pivot pin, while a thrust member is engageable with the end of the feeder remote 2,885,874 Patented May 12, 1959 from the feeding eye when the feeder is in the deflected position in order to shift the feeder towards the knitting cylinder. Further, means are provided to withdraw the holding pin from the feeder in the operational position to allow this feeder to return into its rest position under the action of its return spring, the arrangement being such that, after the holding pin of the operational feeder is withdrawn, the selecting pin of the deflected feeder is released to allow this feeder under the action of its return spring and of its holding pin to swing back into the operational position. The selecting members and the thrust members are advantageously connected together for operation in such a manner that during their operational movement first the selecting member deflects the associated feeder about its pivot pin so as to bring its end remote from the eye into the range of the thrust member, that thereafter the thrust member shifts the deflected feeder towards the needle cylinder against the action of the return spring, that the thrust member then engages the means for withdrawing the holding pin from the operational feeder, and that, with the return movement of the thrust member, selecting member also returns and allows the selected feeder to swing back to assume its operational position.

Further advantages and features of the present invention will be apparent in the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating by way of example an embodiment of a five feeder striping attachment on a double-cylinder knitting machine.

In the drawings: 1

Fig. 1 shows on an enlarged scale a vertical section of the needle cylinders along the plane 44 in Fig. 4 and an elevational view of the yarn feeder layout with respect to the needle cylinders during normal knitting;

Fig. 2 is a partial plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 1; r

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view of the yarn feeding and changing apparatus along the plane 6-6 in Fig. 6 during the change of the individual feeders;

Fig. 4 is a plan view like Fig. 2, but showing the feeder selection and feeder operating device, as well as the yarn engaging, trapping and cutting devices;

Fig. 5 is an elevational view of a portion of the device as viewed in the direction of the arrow 2 in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a lateral view of the yarn feeding and changing device as viewed in the direction of the arrow Z in ating devices having been omitted;

"Fig. 7 is a perspective view, on an enlarged scale, of a detail of the selecting device for the striping feeders;

Fig. 8 is a developed view of the pin drum, showing by way of example an arrangement of the selecting pins inthe selecting holes;

Fig. 9 is a perspective view, on an enlarged scale, of a detail of the selecting device for the heel feeder;

Fig. 10 is a perspective view, on an enlarged scale, of the change-over mechanism of the feeder selecting device;

Fig. 11 is a side view of the devices shown in Fig. 4 as viewed in the direction of the arrow Z in Fig. 4 during normal knitting, but with the yarn feeding and yarn changing device having been omitted;

Figs. 12 to 17 are plan views similar to that of Fig. 4,

but showing only those parts required for an understanding of the change of two striping feeders;

Fig. 18 is a side view similar to that in Fig. 11 but during knitting of the heel or toe;

Figs. 19 and 20 are plan views similar to that in Fig. 4, but showing only those parts required for an understanding of the exchange of a striping feeder for a heel feeder;

Fig. 21 is an elevational view on a reduced scale similar to that in Fig. 5, but without the yarn feeding and 3 changing device, and showing a control mechanism for the feeder selecting drum during normal knitting;

Fig. 22 is partly a horizontal sectional view along the plane 2121 in Fig. 21 and partly a plan view of the structure in Fig. 21, but with the yarn feeding and changing device having been omitted;

Figs. 23, 24 and 25 are fragmentary side views as viewed in the direction of the arrow Z in Fig. 21, at different periods of action of the central control device;

Fig. 26 is a plan view on a reduced scale of the straightened timing chain in Fig. 21 with links for a normal feeder change;

Fig. 27 is a plan view similar to that in Fig. 26, but with chain links for any required feeder change;

Fig. 28 is a fragmentary elevational view of the yarn engaging, trapping and cutting device as viewed in the direction of the arrow Z, in Fig. 4; and

Figs. 29 to 33 are fragmentary elevational views of the cutting device as viewed in the direction of the arrow Z in Fig. 4, but showing different operational positions during the change of two feeders.

Figure 34 is a side view of the heel yarn drawing-off device as viewed in the direction of the arrow Z in Figure 5, during normal knitting;

Figure 35 is a horizontal section along the plane 3434 during normal knitting and knitting of the heel or toe.

The yarn feeding mechanism of a circular machine for producing course-wise or horizontal stripes comprises, as can be seen best in Figs. 4, 21 and 22, a yarn feeding and interchanging device A, a striping feeder selecting device B, a heel feeder selecting device C, a change-over device D for both selecting devices B and C, a common feeder operating device E, a central control device F, a control mechanism G for the pin drum, a yarn trapping and cutting-off device H, a further yarn cutting-off device K and a yarn engaging device M.

The yarn feeding and interchanging device A as shown in Figs. 1, 3, 4 may comprise any required number of movable yarn feeders, for example, the five feeders indicated in the illustrated embodiment by the reference numerals 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. These feeders can be selected individually and serve for feeding one or several yarns 6, 6a or 6b (Figs. 2, 3, 19) into double-ended latch needles 7 of a circular knitting machine having superimposed bottom and top needle cylinders 8 and 9. The longitudinal axes 10 of the individual feeders converge radially towards a common feeding point 11 located on the horizontal axis of the central feeder 3 near the needle cylinders, but just outside the path of the closing latches of the needles. When the feeders are in their normal inoperative position, then feeding eyes are spaced from the feeding point 11 by the same distance. All the feeders 1 to 5 are of rectangular cross section (Fig. 2) and of the same size, and further are arranged one above the other. Each feeder has a longitudinal slot 14 (Fig. 3) through which a pivot pin 30 extends, the pin 30 being in the form of a wire and being common to all of the feeders. Thus, each feeder forms a double-armed lever, and the arm remote from the feeder eye has a lateral recess 15 and a rounded end 16 which is connected by a spring 12 to a common feeder guard 13. The feeders 1 to 4 serve for horizontal or coursewise striping the leg and sole of the stocking, while the topmost feeder 5 serves for knitting the heel and toe or the reinforced upper part of the stocking. For the manufacture of ribbed hosiery, the feeders can be provided with two yarn feeder eyes.

All the feeders are arranged in a slidable and pivotal manner in convergent radial grooves 18 of a common support 19 (Fig. 4) and are secured laterally by means of a removeable plate 20. Each feeder is associated with two pins, namely a selecting pin 21 and a holding pin 22, which pins are arranged to engage the edge of the related feeder (Fig. 4). The pins 21 and 22 are guided for axial displacement in bores of the support 19, and,

as shown in Fig. 6, the bores which accommodate the selecting pins 21 are situated along a section of a circle which has its center at the point 11 and a radius x, while the bores accommodating the holding pins 22 are arranged along a section of a concentric circle having the larger radius y. When the feeders 1 to 5 are in their normal positions, their edges facing the pins 21 and 22 are located in a vertical plane 3-3 (Fig. 5) extending in parallel relationship to the longitudinal axis of needle cylinders 8 and 9. The end of each holding pin 22 is urged by a spring 23 to engage in the lateral recess 15 of the respective feeder (Fig. 3). Each spring 23 bears against the enlarged head of the related holding pin 22 as well as against a plate 24 fixed removably on the support 19. Parallel with, and symmetrically with respect to, the horizontal longitudinal axis 10 of the central feeder 3, two inclined slot-like grooves 25 (Figs. 4, 5, 6) are cut into the support 19 and receive abutment wedges 26 of a comb 27 which, in turn, is slidably supported on pins 28 of the plate 24 and urged in a direction toward the feeders by springs 29 surrounding the pins 28. The comb 27 thus serves for actuating the holding pins 22.

Each selected feeder assumes during its operation, successively and independently of the other feeders, five different positions I, II, III, IV, V (Fig. 3) located in a plane at right angles to the needles and outside the range of the needle latches. The rest or non-feeding position I of all feeders is secured by the pivot pin 30 (Figs. 3, 6) which is provided in the support 19 and extends in the form of an are through all the longitudinal slots 14 of the feeders 1 to 5, and is provided at its end outside support 19 with an adjustment ring 31 (Fig. 6). The intermediate positions III, IV and the operative or normal feeding position V are secured by the engagement of the holding pin 22 in the recess 15 of the respective feeder (Figs. 3, 14, 16).

The selecting device B for the striping feeders comprises a selecting drum 32 (Fig. 7) rotatably mounted on a shaft or axle 33 supported by a bottom selecting lever 34, which in turn is pivotally supported on a pivot pin 35 of a bracket 36 (Fig. 4). The selecting drum 32 has a surface forming a regular polygon which, in the illustrated embodiment has twelve faces (Fig. 8) each provided with a row of bores 37 which is intended to co-act with one of the four feeders 1 to 4 by receiving the bevelled end of a selecting pin 21. The bores 37 of each row are arranged along a section of a circle with the radius x, which is the same as the previously mentioned radius x.

In one of the bores 37 of each face of drum 32 there is an interchangeable selecting pin 38 (Figs. 9, 11) for co-operating with the corresponding selecting pin 21 (Fig. 12). The selecting drum 32 is coupled with a ratchet wheel 39 (Fig. 7) with a number of teeth equalling the number of the drum faces. Between the teeth of the ratchet wheel 39 a tooth 41 of a pawl 42 can be engaged under the action of a spring 40 (Fig. 21), the pawl 42 being supported pivotally on a screw 43 of the bracket 36 (Fig. 4). The free end of pawl 42 is provided with an extension 44. A spring 45 provided inside the selecting drum 32 on the axle 33 brakes the rotary movement of the drum (Fig. 11).

The selecting device C for the heel feeder 5 consists, as can be seen in Figs. 9 and 19, of an arm 46 fixed adjustably by means of screws 47 on an upper selecting lever 48 and adapted to co-operate with the respective selecting pin 21 of the heel feeder 5 (Figs. 19, 20). The lever 48 is supported pivotally on the pivot pin 35 of the bottom selecting lever 34.

The change-over mechanism D (Fig. 10) which determines whether the selecting device B for the striping feeders 1 to 4 or the selecting device C for the heel feeder 5 is to be actuated, consists of a change-over member 49 supported rotatably in a cam-member 50.

The cam-member 50 is supported pivotally on the pin 35 between both selectin'glevers 34, 48 (Figs. 4, 11). The change-over member 49 has the shape of a cylindrical disc and is provided with two projections 51, 52 which are shaped and arranged to engage either cylindrical recesses 53, 54 or longitudinal recesses 55, 56 of the selecting levers 34, 48, respectively (Figs. 7, 9, 10). Each cylindrical recess 53 or 54 opens at a point into the associated longitudinal recess 55 or 56. The changeover member 49 is provided with an adjustment pin 57 guided in a horizontal slot 58 of the member 50 as well as in an inclined slot 59 of a guide plate 60 (Fig. 11). Both projections 51, 52, are arranged symmetrically with regard to the vertical axis of the change-over member 49 and to the horizontal axis of the adjustment pin 57 in such a way that the top projection 52 is above the member 49 and pin 57 and the bottom projection 51 is beneath the member 49 and pin 57 (Fig. 4). The cammember 50 carries in a lateral recess 61 (Fig. 10) a holder 62 (Figs. 12, 21) with two shoulder screws 63 which project through two inclined slots 64 of the guide plate 60 and thus permit this plate to be vertically and horizontally displaced within certain limits (Figs. 11, 18). A spring 67 is suspended from a bracket 65 fixed on the holder 62 and from a screw 66 on the guide plate 60. A bevelled corner 68 of the guide plate 60 co-operates with the bent end of an intermediate member 69 attached to the bent end 70 of an actuating lever 71, in order to control a clutch 72 required for the knitting of the heel and toe (Figs. 21, 22). The selecting levers 34, 48 are urged into their inoperative positions by springs 73, 74 which are connected at one end to the levers 34, 48 and, at their other end, to a holder 75 of the bracket 36 to move the selecting levers towards adjusting screws 76 of a post 77 (Figs. 4, 19).

The common feeder operating device E as shown in figs. 4 and comprises an operating lever 78 for the feeders 1 to 5, said lever carrying on an adjustable pin 79 a roller 80 in rolling contact with a concave camway 81 on the member 50. The lever 78 is fixedly connected to a spindle 82 of the bracket 36. A thrust plate 83 provided at laterally extended branches 84 of the lever 78 has an arcuate shape with a part circular cross section having the radius y corresponding to the radius 3: of the circle centered at the feeding point 11 (Fig. 6) and on which the rounded ends 16 of all feeders are situated when the feeders assume the position IV (Fig. 14). A lever 85 (Fig. 21) is fixed to the lower end of the spindle 82 below the bracket 36 and is connected with a lever 87 by means of a link or pull rod 86, the lever 87 being fixed to the top end of a spindle 88 supported in a bearing of the frame member 89.

The central control device F comprises, as can be seen in Fig. 22, a cylindrical actuating drum 90 with a curved cam groove 91 engaged by a roller 92 carried by the longer arm of a double-armed lever 93. The lever 93 is pivotally supported on a pin 94 fixed in the lower flattened end of the spindle 88 (Fig. 21). The cam groove 91 has a straight portion in which a lobe 95 is situated (Figs. 21, 23). One revolution of the grooved drum 90 mounted on an intermediate shaft 96 corresponds to one revolution of the needle cylinders 8, 9. The shorter arm 97 of the lever 93 engages in a recess 98 of a frame 99 fixed on the part 89 of the machine frame. A spring 101 is'connected between the arm 97 of the lever 93 and a spring carrier 100 on the spindle 88. The arm 97 of the lever 93 is held in the recess 98 by a tooth 102 of a slide 103, and the latter is guided by pin screws 104 in oblong holes 105 of the frame 99. A

spring 106 is suspended on a screw'107 of the frame 99 and on a screw of the slide 103 to hold the latter in its locking position. A pusher member 108 co-acts with the slide 103 and is supported pivotally on a screw 109 '(Fig. 22) of a holder 110 fixed on the frame member 89 (Fig. '21). An adjusting nut 112 is pivotally mount- 6 ed on a .pin screw 111 of the pusher member 108 and screwed into the nut .112 is the end of a connecting rod 113 which is provided with adjustment members 114, 115. The other end of connecting rod 113 is connected, by means of a screw 116, to one arm of a double-armed lever 117 which is freely rotatable on a shaft 118. A cam follower 119 is fixed to the other arm of the lever 117 to slide over cam members 121 which project from some of the links of a chain 120 and which are all of the same height (Fig. 26). A spring 122 suspended at one end from the adjustment member 114 and at its other end from a holder 123 maintains the pusher member 108 in its inoperative position (Fig. 22) and the cam follower 119 in contact with the cam members 121 on chain 120. The adjusting member bears against a part of the machine frame 124 and limits the stroke of the connecting rod 113 when the cam follower 119 slides over the cam members of the chain (Fig. 21).

For controlling the mechanism G of the selecting drum 32 (Fig. 22) some links 125 of the chain 120 are provided with one laterally projecting stud 126, while other chain links 127 have two laterally projecting studs 126 (Fig. 27) which are interconnected with the chain links 120 in accordance with a pre-determined order. A cam follower 128 rides over the laterally protruding studs 126 and is carried by one arm of a double-armed lever 129 which is likewise angularly displaceable on the shaft 118 (Fig. 21). A connecting rod 131 is connected, by means of a screw 130, to the other arm of the lever 129 and carries, at its other end, an adjusting nut 132 connected by means of a screw 133 with a lever 134 supported pivotally on a screw 135 of the holder 110. A tie rod 136 hinged at the free end of the lever 134 is connected with a double-armed lever 137 suported pivotally on a screw 138 (Fig. 22) of the bracket 89. The free end of the lever 137 cooperates with an extension 139 of a nut 140 (Fig. 11) screwed on a threaded prolongation or extension of the axle 33 which carries the selecting drum 32. A spring 141 (Fig. 22) connected at one end to an adjustable bracket 142 fixed to the rod 131 and at its other end to the holder 123, serves for maintaining the engagement between the cam follower 128 and the lateral studs 126 of the chain links 125, 127 (Fig. 27

The yarn trapping and cutting-off device H as illustrated in Figs. 4, 11, 28 is common to all yarns 6, 6a, 6b of the feeders 1 to 5 is formed by a fixed trapper jaw 143 secured by a pin 144, which pin is adjustably mounted in a holder 145 of the bracket 36 and secured by a nut 146. The trapper jaw 143 is provided with three horizontal grooves 147 for engagement with pivotally mounted trapper jaws 149. The movable jaws 149 are pressed against the stationary jaw 143 by the extended portion 150 of a torsion spring 151 which is held bya screw 152, so that the yarns are safely held between the jaws. Each trapper jaw 149 is urged individually against the bottom of the respective groove 147 by the prong of a common fork-shaped blade spring 153, the latter as Well as a yarn guide 154 being fixed by means of a shoulder screw 155 to the wall of the trapper block 143 which faces the feeders 1 to 5 (Fig. 28), with the prongs of the blade spring 153 extending over the transversely extended portion 150 (Fig. 29) of the torsion spring 151. To the other side wall of the trapper block 143 a stationary cutting blade 157 is fixed by means of a screw 156 for co-operation with a movable cutting blade 158. The cutting blade 158 is in the form of a twoarmed lever which is pivotally supported on a pivot screw 156 and urged against the stationary cutting blade 157 by the action of a torsion spring 160 (Fig. 4). The cutting blade 157 is provided, at its rear end, with an actuating pin 159 (Fig. 29) which is guided in a longitudinal slot 161 of a lever 162 supported pivotally on a pivot screw 163 of a bent bracket 164. The bracket 164 and its support 145 are fixed to the frame member 

